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TIME RECORDER Filed Oct. 5, 1'929 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 I NV EN TOR.

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P" 1931- E. G. STRECKFUSS 1,800,414

TIME RECORDER Filed Oct. 5, I929 4-Sheets-Sheet 2 INV NTOR.

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April 14, 1931.

E. G STRECKFUSS TIME RECORDER Filed Oct. 5, 1929 4 Sheets-Sheet 5 I NVEN TOR.

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April 1931- E. G. STRECKFUSS 1,800,414

TIME RECORDER Filed Oct. 5, 1929 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 IN VEN TOR.

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A TTORNEYJ Patented Apr. 14, 1931 UNITED, STATES PATENT OFFICE ELMER G. STRECKFUSS, OF CINCINNATI, OHIO, ASSIGNOR TO THE CINCINNATI TIME RECORDER COMPANY. OF CINCINNATI, OHIO, A

CORPORATION OF OHIO TIME RECORDER Application filed October 5, 1929. Serial No. 397,708.

My invention relates to automatic time recorders, and particularly to the type in which the card is inserted in a vertical position in a tray, and in which the movement of the tray controls the position on the card on which the markings are applied.

In the United States Patent No. 1,253,185 to Lawton, a time recorder is disclosed in which a card guide or tray is provided having an abutment associated therewith for controlling the position of the card within the guide, and in which means is directly coupled with the clock mechanism for intermittently moving the abutment and thereby changing the relative position on the card on which the time is stamped for the various arrivals and departures required. My invention relates to this type of recorder, and is directed toward improvements in structure which make the setting of a desired schedule more flexible.

In the above type of recorder it is my object to so arrange the card abutment and the cam for actuating same that pressure on the cam is avoided excepting during registration. In this connection, by this novel arrangement of parts it is also my object to relieve pressure on the clock and thus make an assembly which will be more accurate, which will last longer, and which can stand harder use.

It is another object to arrange actuating mechanism for the abutment which can be changed more quickly than has heretofore been possible, and in which less interchange of parts or disassembly is required for setting the clock for different schedules.

Another object of my invention is to provi de mechanism in which a schedule of registrations from desired positions on the card is possible whether the changing positions of registration move from the top of the card down, or from the bottom of the card up. This enables the use of a much smaller card than has heretofore been required. and for accounting purposes enables registrations from the bottom of the card up, which is the natural way in which an accountant checks a column of figures.

Another object of my invention is to provide a time recorder having insertion of a card which therein which is engaged positively controls the position of the card at all times until the registration has been made so that inadvertent displacement of the card or intentional misplacing of the card resulting in a registration in a wrong position, is impossible.

The above objects and other structural improvements to which reference will be made in the ensuing disclosure I accomplish by that certain combination and arrangement of parts of which I have illustrated a preferred embodiment.

Referring to the drawings Figure 1 is a rear elevation of the ferred type of time recorder.

Figure 2 is a side elevation shown from the right side of the recorder as considered from the front.

Figure 3 is a side elevation shown from the left side of the recorder as considered from the front.

Figure 4 is an enlarged detail of the card abutment and the finger which insures the accurate positioning of the card.

Figure 5 is a detail plan view of the actuating cam and the abutment.

Figures 69 show various modifications of cams which permit a wide variation in setting schedules.

Figure 10 shows a card such as may be employed with my novel time recorder.

The time shaft 1 which may be actuated by a master clock or other desired power or electrical movement, is shown as connected by a train of gears 2, 3 and 4 to a dumm clock 5 having a clock dial 6 with hands 7, 8 for indicating time intervals.

The schedule disc 9 is pivotally mounted in the machine frame 10 as indicated at 11. The disc has arcuate slots 12 adjacent its outer periphery, within which schedule lugs 13 may be set by means of nuts 14 to correspond with desired calibrations on the disc or at predetermined positions on the disc. The disc is driven by means of a train of gears 15, 16, 17, 18 from the time shaft, and as designed in this particular instance the a tray for the has a perforation by a finger which prefan

' with the type of clock used and the pay-roll eriod.

The time wheels 19 on which desired type is peripherally mounted to indicate desired time intervals, are journaled in the machine frame as indicated at 20. The timewheels are driven by a train of gears 21, 22, 23, and 2 1 from the time shaft 1. The timewheels are geared to rotate'in accordance with the time intervals which each one designates. The minute time wheel rotates once each hour, the hour timewheel once each twentyfour hours in accordance with standard practice. V

The card-tray or guide has bosses 26 which are slidably mounted on a shaft 27 extending across between members of the machine frame. The card frame abutment 28 is slidably mounted in'channcis 29 in the card tray or receiver. On the frame 28 I have shown a pair of abutments 30 and guide fingers 31 for insuring against both longitudinal and lateral displacement of the card. A pin 32 is seated within a slot 33 on the forward end 3 1 of a rocking arm 35. The arm 35 is rigidly mounted on a shaft 36 ournale-d in the machine frame as indicated at 37.

The shaft 36 extends out from the machine frame and has a crank 38 which has a stud 39 which engages a slot 40 in a link ll. The link 4:1 is pivotally connected to the operating lever 42 as indicated at L3. The lever 12 is pivoted in the machine frame as, indicated at 4:4, and has a hand grip 45 at its forward extremity which the employee presses to secure registration on his card. Extending from the link l1 there is a hookshaped member 46 which is connected with a spring 427 which normally pulls the parts back to normal postion prior to each registration.

I have shown a link 48 pivotally mounted in a pin 49 which is actuated by the lever 42. The link connects with a bell crank 50 which in turn actuates a link 51 which is connected to the arm 52 which controls the minute finder. As the minute wheel is in constant rotation, .a temporary blocking device is required to prevent blurring bet en minutes, but as such mechanism is old and forms no part of my invention, no further reference will be made to the parts for operating the minute finder.

Mounted on the abutment frame 28 are a pair of bosses 53 in'which is mounted a pin 7 54. A trigger finger 55 is mounted on the pin 54 and a spring 56 urges the tri er finger frontwardly to engage the perfhTation 57 in the time card 58 when thecard is inserted within the tray. The trigger finger has arhook-shaped extension 58 which, when the abutment frame returns to 'its uppermost posit-ion, engages a bar 59 extending across between frame members, and thus tilts the card engaging forward end of the finger backwardly to release the card.

Pivotally mounted in the machine frame at 60 I have shown the trip bar 61. The trip bar has a dog 62 which, during the rotation of the schedule disc,.is engaged by the lugs 13 therebyperiodically elevating the end of the bar 61 which is connected at 63 with the lifting bar 64. The lift bar 64 is pivotally connected at 65 with a pawl carrier 66 which is pivoted on the shaft'67. journaled in the machine frame and pivotally mounted on the pawl carrier is the pawl 68 which engages the teeth 69 of a ratchet wheel 70. The ratchet wheel is. fixedly mounted on the shaft 67. The shaft 67 carries the cam member 72 on the end opposite the ratchet wheel. A spring73 keeps the pawl in contact withthe teeth of the ratchet.

A back stop 74- prevents counter rotation of the ratchet which is normally counterclockwise in the direction of the'arrow. as indicated in Figure 8. i

In Figures 6-9 I have shown different types of cams which may be mounted on the cam shaft 67, and by which different schedules of time registrations will be provided. In the description of the operation of the time recorder which follows I will describe as illustrative of the principle involved, the operation of the recorder with the cam shown in Figure 6 in use. ure 6 is for an ordinary schedule in which the morning in registration appears at the top of the card in the space designated for the particular day on which the registration is made. With 24: teeth on the ratchet and with eight lugs Ben the disc 9 properly spaced, and with a. three-lobed cam, eight The shaft 67 is v The cam shown in Fig. i

its

registrations daily may be made. For example, if the ringing in time is 7 a. m., a lug may be placed on the disc so that with the revolution of the cam the abutment frame will not drop down as faras at the 7 a. m. registration. Thus, if it is desiredto have the registrations of all employees ringing in after 7 :01 shown ina separate space below the proper registration, this can bereadily 'acoomplished. Thus also, if it is'desired to show a too early registration, a lug may be et sufficiently in advance of the lug which makes the noon change, to recordsuch registration in a space above the usual noon out registration. VVit-h an arrangement allowing eight registrations thus each of the four normal registrations, that is, morning in, noon out, noon in, and night out, will fall on certain spaces on the card, and late registrants to ring in or early registrants to ring out, will have their registrations shown below or above the normal space on which their registrations should have fallen. Thus, in checking cards, it is a simple task to detect those who depart from the normal schedule.

WVhen an employee rings in, he places his card within the receiver 25. The card moves down within the receiver until it strikes against the abutments 30 on the frame28. He then depresses the handle 42. As soon as the shaft 36 begins to turn the-arm 35 carries the abutment frame 28 downwardly and the finger is released so that it is urged for ward by the spring 56. The finger then engages the perforation 57 in the card until the pin 75, which extends out from the arm 35, strikes the surface of the cam 72. In this position, that is, with the abutment carriage 28 limited in its movement by the surface of the cam, the registration lever continues its movement until the registration is made. *2

Upon the release of the registration handle the spring 47 pulls the parts back to normal position, the shaft 36 rotates back to its normal position, and the arm 35 rocks upwardly until the finger 58 strikes the rod 59 and rocks backwardly, releasing the card.

Each lug on the disc 9 which rotates, as has been noted, once every twenty-four hours, when it engages the dog 62 of the lift bar 61 elevates the lift bar which raises the pull rod 64. After the lug passes under the dog 62 the pull rod drops back and the ratchet is advanced one tooth. This movement of the ratchet rotates the shaft 67 and advances the cam one twenty-fourth of a revolution. With twenty-four teeth on the ratchet, and with eight spaced lugs on the schedule disc, the cam will be turned one third revolution each day and the cam indicated will take care of the schedule for three days. Unless changed at the end of that time it will of course repeat.

It will be noted that excepting during the actual registration, the rod is out of contact with the cam 72 which permits any desired arrangement of depressions and elevated portions on the surface of the cam. In rec-orders in which the control for the abutment carriage is in engagement with the cam at all times, no unusual shaped cams or unusual cycles of schedule operations are possible because while it is always easy for the rod 75 to drop down into a depression in the cam. were it to remain in the depression it would bind and thus stop the clock. Since in the novel arrangement herein described the member bearing against the cam is normally out of contact with it, no matter how deep the depression in the cam, the member will always move out to normal disengaged position.

For ringing on the card from the bottom up, all that it is necessary to do is to reverse the cam 72 so that it will revolve in the opposite direction from that shown in Figure 6 or like the direction of rotation indicated for the cam shown in Figure 9. It will be noted that these cams have parabolic engaging surfaces terminating in a sharp drop off 76. If a member, as in other recorders of which I am aware, engaging the cam were to ride against one of these sharp drop offs, when the cam was moving in reverse direction as shown in Figure 9, it would bind and stop the clock. WVhere, however, the means for controlling the position of the abutment carriage is normally out ofengagement with the cam surface, this difliculty is not presented.

It will thus be observed that I have provided a mechanism in which unusual flexibility of settings for varying schedules is provided.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is y 1. In a time recorder having a card guide, an abutment carriage having an abutment for limiting the position of a card, a cam for controlling cycles of schedule operation, and means normally out of engagement with the surface of the cam for limiting the movement of said abutment carriage.

2. In a time recorder having a card guide, an abutment carriage having an abutment for limiting the position of a card, a cam for controlling cycles of schedule operation, and means normally out of engagement with the surface of the cam for limiting the movement of said abutment carriage, a finger for insertion within a perforation in a card mounted on said abutment carriage, and means for inserting said finger within a perforation in a card during the movement of the cam carriage.

3. In a time recorder having a card guide, an abutment carriage having an abutment for limiting the position of a card, a cam for controlling cycles of scheduleoperation, and means normally out of engagement with the surfaceof the cam for limiting the movement of said abutment carriage, a finger for insertion within a perforation in a card mounted on said abutment carriage, means for inserting said finger within a perforation in a card during the movement of the cam carriage, and means for withdrawing said finger from said perforation during the movement of said cam carriage to release the card.

4. A time recorder having a card receiving guide, and abutment means for controlling the position of a card within said guide, and automatic means effective only during registration periods for limiting the movement of said abutment means.

5. A- time recorder having a card receiving guide, abutment means for controlling the position of a card within said guide, and automatic means effective only during registration periods forlimiting the movement of said abutment means, said means comprising in combination with an automatically movable cam, a member carried into engagement with the surface of said cam only during registrations on said recorder.

6. A time recorder having in combination ing the position of acard within said guide, with an automatically movable cam, a card and means efiective only during depressed receiving guide having a movable abutment positions of said handle for positively engagassociated therewith so as to limit the moveing a perforation in a card.

F ment of a card within said guide, and means ELIVIER G. STREGKFUSS. 1

associated with said abutment for intermi"-- tently engaging the surface of said cam.

7 A time recorder having in combination with an automatically movable cam, a card 1n receiving guide having a movableabutment I a associated; therewith so as to limit the movei V ment of a card within said guide, and means associated'with said abutment for intermittently engaging the surface of said cam, dur- 1: ing registration periods only.

8. In combination with a time recorder having a card receiving guide with means associated with said guide for limiting the a position of a card within said guide, means in I o operative position only during registration periods on said recorder for determining the position of said first mentioned means.

9. In combination with a time recorder having a card receiving guide with means as- V s sociated with said guide for limiting the a r 99 position of a card within said guide, means in operative position only during registration periods on said recorder for determining the position of said first mentioned means, and 30 said card limiting means having means asso- I e V ciated therewith for positively engaging a perforation in a card during the registration thereof.

10. In combination with a time recorder v p I V 35 having a card receiving guide with means as- 109 sociated with said guide for limiting the position of a card Within said guide, means in operative position'only during registration periods on said recorder for determining the 4 position of said first mentioned means, said o v v recorder having means for positively engaging a perforation in a card during the registration thereof.

11. In combination in a time recorder, an

45 automatically movable cam the movements f v v 110 of which control the positions of registrations on a card, guiding means for a card, and means for limiting the position of a card within said guiding means, and means inter- 50 mittently engaging said cam during registra- V 110 tion periods for controlling the movement ,Of said limiting means. 12. A time recorder having a 'manually movable handle the movement of which is necessary to secure registration-s, a card receiving guide, and means efiective only during depressed positions ofsaid handle for a limiting the position of a card withinsaid e0 gulde- 13. A'time recorder having a manually movable handle the movement of which is necessary to secure registrations, a card re- .ceiving guide, mean-s effective only during 7 65 depressed positions of saidhandle for limit- V o Y I 13o 

